This month's podcast features Elaine Heath, Academy faculty, Upper Room Books author, and so much more. Elaine’s scholarly work is interdisciplinary, integrating pastoral, biblical, and spiritual theology in ways that bridge the gap between academy, church, and world. And it’s because of this approach that I’m excited for her words to us today that were a portion of her time with Academy 34. Her current research interests focus on community as a means of healing trauma, emergent forms of Christianity, and alternative forms of theological education for the church in rapidly changing contexts. In addition to having served as Dean of a Divinity School and Professor of Evangelism, Elaine is co-founder of the Missional Wisdom Foundation, and more recently she co-founded Neighborhood Seminary, a contextualized model of missional theological education for laity.

Elaine's episode reminds us, "We are already God’s joy, God’s delight — even before we embark on our respective journeys toward reconciliation, reparation, and healing, we are aglow with the warmth of Christ’s love. That is good news."